Ask Trooper Keith: Happy Birthday MSP

Friday

Apr 4, 2014 at 10:14 PMApr 4, 2014 at 10:17 PM

Ninety-seven years ago the Michigan State Police was born. The department was organized in 1917 and celebrates its birthday on April 19. For the month of April, I will share several fun facts, history tidbits, accomplishments, and various services of the MSP.

Trooper Keith Disselkoenasktrooperkeith@gmail.com

Ninety-seven years ago the Michigan State Police was born. The department was organized in 1917 and celebrates its birthday on April 19. For the month of April, I will share several fun facts, history tidbits, accomplishments, and various services of the MSP.

To start off, I will give a brief history of how the department started and its path to the present.

April 19, 1917: The Michigan State Troops Permanent Force, also known as the Michigan State Constabulary, was founded. It initially was created as an emergency force to protect homeland security as the threat of World War I loomed. The force consisted of 300 men and was led by a governor-appointed director, Colonel Roy C. Vandercook.

1917: The institution's wooden headquarters was built on a 90-acre parcel of land leased from Michigan Agricultural College, now Michigan State University.

1917-1919: The department guarded vital war production facilities and enforced state liquor prohibition.

1924: Under the direction of Commissioner Harry Jackson, the Michigan State Police began using motorcycles instead of mounted units as its main form of transportation. Marked patrol cars were first used in 1929.

1940-41: Anticipating a war time security role, the MSP added greater emphasis to military drill in recruit schools.

1949: The first time MSP issued two-way "handie-talkie" radios to troopers for civil defense and search and rescue operations.

1950's: Troopers dubbed the patrol car as the "Blue Goose" in parody of a well-known commercial bus-line of the time.

1970s: Portions of the East Lansing Michigan State Police Post began to be sourced to other areas to accommodate for MSP's growth and to create space for new technology.